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| Patrick Grant of Norton & Sons and E. Tautz |
Walking along the golden mile of tailoring you might feel daunted, intimidated even by the string of polished and gilded shop fronts housing fiercely stylish suits, poised like suits amour.
Attitudes to Savile Row have changed over its 200-year
history; it was trendy in the 1960’s when The Beatles shopped there and it has
been considered out of touch. A young apprentice named Alexander McQueen
rebelliously inserted notes of paper that read “I’m a rich b*****d” into the
lining of aristocrat’s suit jacket. However, one thing that has remained
constant is the Row’s heritage as the Mecca of exquisite quality and craftsmanship.
Savile Row is embedded in the fabric of men’s fashion and
yet the two have a difficult relationship. Savile Row tailors, who spend as
much time training to achieve the perfect cut as a doctor, make fashion
tailoring appear amateur. Fashion by definition is fast paced, ever changing
and this world of fad and novelty seemingly has no place on the regal Row whose
emphasis is on eternal style. For the modern menswear designer it must be like
being a contemporary painter, whose work is unforgivably critiqued against the
rigid institution of art history painting.
When it comes to classic men’s tailoring it is the
refinement and the detail that denote style; impeccably high standards that
cannot possibly be mimicked on a fast or mass scale or disguised by accessory. Designers
such as Tom Ford have mastered and redefined the men’s dinner suit, for
example. However, it costs more than the average Savile Row ensemble and won’t
have been made to measure.
Though despite appearances Savile Row is accessible and
fairly democratic. The tailors cater for everyone, from royalty to the
Gallagher brothers, to a prospective bridegroom looking for that special suit
and they are all given the bespoke treatment. Furthermore, the classic Savile
Row styling is born out of practicality; an English country gent and has a
history in military tailoring.
With the developing interest and demand in men’s fashion in
recent years the two cultures have had to harmonise. Savile Row tailors show at
Fashion week offering unique twists on canvasses of precision tailoring.
Indeed, this past London Fashion Week saw E.Tautz debut with cheeky cheques and
quirky bell shaped hats to a packed audience of dapper dressed gents hungry for
bespoke. And M&S have recently announced an ‘Inspired by Savile Row’ range,
designed on the famous street by Savile Row designers, thus crossing the
thresholds.
The creation of a ‘Savile Row Bespoke Association’ promises
to protect Savile row standards and interests, yet men’s fashion particularly
in Britain, is picking up speed and pushing boundaries. It is hard to see how
this relationship will develop but contrast is a good buffer and there is
exciting potential around this collision of ideals. It will be fascinating to
see it how it progresses.
